Word-counter for type-writing machines



(No Model.)

J. A.-I-IASTY. WORD COUNTER FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES. v No. 557,674. Patented Apr. 7,189.6.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME A. HASTY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

WORD-COUNTER FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,674, dated April 7, 1896.

Application filed January 29, 1895. Serial No. 536,549. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it 71mg concern.-

Be it known that I, JEROME A. HASTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ord-Counters for Type -Writers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to type-writer attachments, and has for its object to provide an improved word-counter, which is especially adapted for machines which are employed for receiving telegraphic messages.

To this end my invention consists in the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter fully described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein the same letters refer to the same or like parts.

The figure is a perspective view of a part of an ordinary standard type-writer having the preferred form of my invention applied thereto, some parts being broken away and others removed.

a a a a a a represent parts of the framework of an ordinary standard type-writer.

12 represents the spacing-bar or other substitute devices by which the word-space feed of the type-writer is effected.

7) represents the character-keys, and b the shift-key for changing from lower to upper case letters, all of the usual construction.

Turning now to my standard attachment, I provide a suitable wordcounter c 0 which is shown as detachably connected to the front rim of the top plate of the type-writer frame. For the purposes of this case the said wordcounter may be of any suitable construction, and it is not deemed necessary to describe the same in detail. It will be sufficient to distinguish the body portion 0, which contains the countingwheels, the dials of which are readable through the front wall of the counter-case by suitable sight-holes therein; the projecting lever c, by the rocking of which the primary or unit member of the registerwheels is operated, and the releasing device 0 by the operation of which the counterwheels are released from their retaining-pawls and permitted to return to their normal positions, in which normal positions the dials will all read zero.

(Z is an independent key-lever, which, as shown, occupies the place in the keyboard which is usually occupied by one of the levers which are ordinarily used to make the shift from the lower to the upper case letters.

The single shifting-key b is sufficient for all practical purposes, and the special key d can therefore occupy the place above noted. As shown, the said key (2 is pivoted to a part a of said type-writer frame, and is normally upheld at its forward end by a spring at, ap plied to the rear end of said lever cl.

Another special key or lever f is provided, which is pivoted to a clamping-bracket f which is securable to the part a of the typewriter framework, as shown. The said lever f is provided at its forward end with an angular projection or finger-piece f, which overlies the spacing-bar b. The lever f is normally held in its uppermost position by a spring f Each of the bars (Z and f are con nected to the counter-lever a, so as to be capable of independently operating the counter. As shown, the connections consist of a short rod f having its upper end connected to the counter-lever c, and a pair of light chains or other flexible connections f f, connected to the lower end of the rod f The chain f connects the rod f with the special lever cl, and the chain. f connects the rod f 4 with the lever f.

With this construction it is obvious that by operating the lever d the word-counter will be operated independently of the word-spacing devices of the type-writer, that by operating the word-space bar Z) the word-spacing devices of the type-writer will be operated independently of the word-counter, and that by operating the special lever ff both the word-counter and the word-spacing devices of the type-writer will be operated simultaneously, and that all three of the above different actions are possible without any shifting of the parts out of their normal positions. These three actions are essential for the class of work for which my invention is designed. It is a well-known fact that telegraphic mattor for the Associated Press and news organizations generally has for several years been received and written out by the operators on type-writing machines. This is so much more satisfactory than long-hand writing that it is now contemplated to introduce the type-writing machine generally in telegraph offices for receiving messages.

For mercantile purposes and for news purposes also to a large extent it is necessary that the paid matter of all messages should be counted at the receiving end,both for the purpose of fixing the charges and the purpose of a check on the sending-operator and the correctness of the message. This counting of the words has been and is the most annoying feature to the operator who receives on the machine on account of the great concentration and care required to both receive the message and count the words at the same time. In large ofl'ices it has been the custom to employ additional persons for counting the words of the messages.

My invention is designed to remove all the foregoing objections and annoyances incidental to receiving and counting messages on the machine by the same operator, so as to render the introduction of the machine practicable for general mercantile purposes in small offices where only a single operator is employed, and to eliminate the large element of cost due to the employment of the extra help for counting messages in the large offices.

In order to fully meet the requirements of this service, provision must be made for the three independent actions above set forth. It is only the matter between the address and the signature which is paid for and requires counting; but all the other matter, above and below the paid matter, must bewritten out by the operator; and it must also be possible to receive and write out numbers or expressions which are composed partly of numbers and partly of words or letters. Hence it must be possibleto operate the word-spacing mechanism of the type-writer independent of the word-counter, as in the case of writing out, for example, the matter above and belowthe paid matter of the telegram. Then it must be possible to operate the word-counter independent of the spacing devices of the type-writer-as, for example, when taking down numbers or mixed expressions, where the number of word-spaces on the typewriter or type-written matter would be less than the number of words which would require to be counted for fixing the charges or verifying the senders check for that telegram. These several actions must also be capable of performance by the operator with the same quickness that he would operate the ordinary character or spacing key of the type-writer, or otherwise the time required would make the counting impracticable. All these conditions are met and provided for by my invention, as above set forth and described.

It has been stated that any suitable form of word-counter may be employed, and such is the fact, provided the same be suitable; but it is necessary that a word-counter should be employed which is capable of counting up to a high number without materially increased tension or power for operating the same, and that the counting-wheels should be capable of an instantaneous return to normal position under the action of suitable retracting springs or weights, otherwise the delay would render the same impracticable for such service.

It will of course be understood that the particular form of type-writer here shown has been so shown simply for purposes of illustration.

The invention is applicable to all kinds of type-writing machines and someother kinds of machines in which word-spacing devices are employed. The form of the actuating devices for the word-spacing devices of the typewriter is immaterial. Some of these type-writing machines haveaspace-bar, others have single spacing-keys, double spacingkeys, the. My invention is readily applicable to all such machines. In some cases it may not be possible to utilize a spare key in the keyboard for one of the special keys required for my connections, and in that event both of the keys for the form shown would have to be applied as special or extra keys.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with a type-writer, of a word-space feed-bar, a word-counter, and two connections for operating said counter, one of which is independent of said word-space feed-bar and the other of which engages and operates said space-bar, when said latter connection is struck, but which parts are not engaged when said space-bar is struck, whereby said word-counter. and said space-bar may be operated independently one of the other, or simultaneously, by a single action, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the type writer having the space-bar Z), of the word-counter, with lever c, the two keys f, f, and cl, and the flexible connection f f f connecting said lever c, with said keys, said parts being constructed and operating, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JEROME A. I'IASTY. \Vitnesses:

J AS. F. WILLrAMsoN, E. F. ELMORE. 

